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Police commanding officer vs chief of police

The differences between police commanding officers and chiefs of police can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police commanding officer has an average salary of $79,819, which is higher than the $77,582 average annual salary of a chief of police.

The top three skills for a police commanding officer include patrol, internal investigations and emergency response. The most important skills for a chief of police are patrol, public safety, and criminal justice.

Police commanding officer vs chief of police overview

Police Commanding OfficerChief Of Police
Yearly salary$79,819$77,582
Hourly rate$38.37$37.30
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs56,30369,344
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4646
Years of experience--

Police commanding officer vs chief of police salary

Police commanding officers and chiefs of police have different pay scales, as shown below.

Police Commanding OfficerChief Of Police
Average salary$79,819$77,582
Salary rangeBetween $54,000 And $116,000Between $49,000 And $120,000
Highest paying City-Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state-Maine
Best paying company-Ohlone College
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between police commanding officer and chief of police education

There are a few differences between a police commanding officer and a chief of police in terms of educational background:

Police Commanding OfficerChief Of Police
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorCriminal JusticeCriminal Justice
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University

Police commanding officer vs chief of police demographics

Here are the differences between police commanding officers' and chiefs of police' demographics:

Police Commanding OfficerChief Of Police
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 93.0% Female, 7.0%Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between police commanding officer and chief of police duties and responsibilities

Police commanding officer example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate and manage logistical combat support services, engineering support, and security escorts to bases/units locate within the region.
  • Provide operational and administrative oversight of staff responsible for executing law enforcement services for Missouri's state parks and historic sites.
  • Arrange quarterly Compstat, take complaint reports (CRs), handle special attentions and conduct roll call training.

Chief of police example responsibilities.

  • Lead, train and mentore a team of 11 senior logistics and business consultants.
  • Plan, manage, develop, implement and revise the training FTO program, as needed.
  • Enable senior leadership to accomplish combat objectives.
  • Provide first aid and CPR to victims as necessary.
  • Investigate burglary and theft crimes with extensive attention to details.
  • Investigate state and federal narcotics violations on a DEA lead strike-force team.
  • Show more

Police commanding officer vs chief of police skills

Common police commanding officer skills
  • Patrol, 40%
  • Internal Investigations, 15%
  • Emergency Response, 14%
  • Disciplinary Actions, 7%
  • Police Reports, 6%
  • Public Safety, 6%
Common chief of police skills
  • Patrol, 23%
  • Public Safety, 13%
  • Criminal Justice, 9%
  • Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
  • Emergency Management, 4%
  • Police Services, 3%

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